Do You Have a Unified Strategy to Your Business' Communications

Communication is one of the cornerstones on which your business functions, and without it, you will find that going about your daily duties is considerably more difficult. Communication is one of the many ways your organization accomplishes both major and minor tasks, so you want to pay especially close attention to how your business handles phone calls, email, and even mobile devices--both in and out of the office.

Unified communications include several solutions that your organization can use to stay connected, including a unified email solution, mobile device strategy, and a telephone solution. All of these types of solutions should be built around today’s expectations of mobility and flexibility. Here are some of the ways your business can build out a unified communications system that improves connectivity.

Email
Email has long been a staple of business, but how do your employees use it? Do they access it on multiple devices? Do they use the same email service (Hint: They should)? An employee who prefers Gmail over Microsoft Outlook might decide that they would rather use the solution they are most comfortable with. This is an issue, as it spits in the face of your attempt at unified communications.

Email is most useful when it’s kept to your preferred email solution, so you should ensure that your organization is prepared to spend time on training employees how it works. The solution you choose should be one that can be used on several different devices so as to provide your employees with maximum choice in how they use the email system. If you’re worried about hosting your email server, Directive can help you out with that, too.

Mobile Device Management
Mobile devices are all over the place now, and your business could benefit from having them become a part of your infrastructure. However, they need to be managed properly, as the more apps have access to your business’s data, the more exposure it gets to potential threats. You need to make sure that you’re prepared to handle this influx of mobile devices if you’re hoping to provide a truly unified communication infrastructure for your organization.

Beyond compatibility, you want to make sure that your organization is prepared to handle lost or stolen devices, fraudulent apps, and other security risks. Directive can help you whitelist and blacklist apps, as well as remotely wipe lost or stolen devices. This helps you keep your data as safe as can be.

Unified Voice over IP
Traditional telephone solutions don’t take the flexibility of the modern business in mind. Landlines tend to bundle together services with little flexibility, leading to organizations overpaying for services that they don’t need. If you’re paying for services that you don’t need, you’re wasting assets that are better spent elsewhere. Furthermore, you’re limited to taking calls on your work phone in your office, hampering your ability to be productive while out of the office or on a business trip.

A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application is one of the best solutions an organization can implement, as they often work across multiple types of devices and work from a shared database of contacts. Your workers will always have access to client information, even when they aren’t in the office. Employees have the option of using their smartphone, desktop, or traditional handset. Having VoIP makes using Unified Communications so much easier for businesses.

To learn more about unified communications solutions, reach out to Directive at 607.433.2200.